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Mr. Daniel Wunder
Council President
Mr. Daniel Smale
Organist/ Choir Director
Mrs. Tracy Buskirk
Treasurer
Mrs. Rose Arace
Pastoral Secretary
Mrs. Staci Gower
Christian Education
January 2017 Pastor Suzanne Brooks-Cope
Secretary Office Hours are:
Mon., Wed., Fri. 9am to 1pm
Phone: 610-381-2442
Email: stmatts@ptd.net
Website: stmattsucckunkletown.com
Sunday Services and Activities
9am Worship
——————————-
10:30 Sunday School
——————————
Second Sunday
Noon Special
Alternative Worship
NONPROFIT
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO 74
LEHIGHTON, PA 18235
DATED MATERIAL PLEASE DO NOT HOLD
St. Matthew’s UCC
102 Church Road
Kunkletown, Pa 18058
January 2017
Dear Members and Friends of St. Matthews,
According to historians, the celebration of the New Year is the oldest holi-
day. Ancient Babylonians first observed it in the spring about 4,000 years ago. In 153 B.C., the Roman Senate
declared January 1 as New Year’s Day.
The tradition of making resolutions dates back to the Babylonians, who often promised to return borrowed
farm equipment. Using a baby to symbolize rebirth and the new year dates back to the ancient Greeks and
Egyptians.
Modern-day New Year’s customs often focus on prosperity. In Spain, people eat 12 grapes at midnight, hop-
ing to have 12 happy months to come. The Dutch eat donuts because another year has come full circle.
One of the best ways to start off the New Year is by spending time in prayer and discernment. Look back on
God’s many blessings during the completed year and ask for his guidance in the one to come. What are your
hopes and dreams for this New Year?
Our building project was completed last year. It is now time for St. Matthews to start envisioning how we
can use our newly improved space to spread the good news of gospel. We have opened a nursery that al-
lows our littlest ones a safe place to learn and play while their parents worship. We have started a pre-
school Sunday School class that meets in the nursery while our other classes are meeting.. I would like to
form an exercise and weight loss group for those who want to take care of the physical temples that God has
given each one of us. Our newly remodeled kitchen and fellowship hall offers a wonderful space for our
members to meet, gather and fellowship together. The CIA Class will be studying the book of Revelation un-
der the steadfast leadership of Diann Bittenbender during our Sunday School hour. This class is open to all
our members. Randy Cramer continues to invite country musicians to entertain us and inspire us with
country gospel music.
There are lots of events that are occurring, but there is more that we can do. Now is the time to dream and
think of what else God might be calling us to here on top of our hill in Kunkletown. Do you have any ideas
how we can reach out to our community? Is there something you would like to see happen in this New
Year? As the winter begins and the cold and weather keep us inside, it is time to dream, ponder and discern
what new thing God is calling us to in our lives and church.
Have a Happy, Healthy and Faithful New Year,
Pastor Suzanne
St. Matthew’s UCC Prayer List (As of publishing date December 18, 2016)
We Join In Christ’s Prayer For Our Church Members at Various Personal Care Residences or Our Homebound and
Friends Who Need Extra Prayers.
Wilbert Hawk
Brookmont Health Care Center
PO Box 50
Effort, Pa 18330
Dorthea Kresge
Mahoning Valley
397 Hemlock Drive
Lehighton, Pa 18235
Mae Pearsol, Asher Smith
And Maynard Sterner
Getz Personal Care Home
1026 Scenic Drive
Kunkletown, Pa 18058
Naomi Smith, Gladys Lindenmoyer
And Latimer Eckhart
Village Of Palmerton
71 Princeton Avenue
Palmerton, Pa 18071
Joyce Smale
Pleasant Valley Manor
4227 Manor Drive
Stroudsburg, Pa 18360
Pauline Smith
173 Fiddletown Road
Kunkletown, Pa 18058
Violet Kromer& Mary Correll
Slatebelt Nursing & Rehab
Slatebelt Drive
Bangor, Pa 18013
Mary Kleintop
Weatherwood Nursing & Rehab
1000 Evergreen Avenue
Weatherly, Pa 18255
Other Prayer Concerns
Families of Jean Lengel, June Smith, Lana
Schroeder, and
Beth Sheilds: Billy Kleintop,
Bill Caldwell, Evelyn Smith, Ken Serfass,
Judy Smith, Brayden Wunder,
Gerald Haydt, Margaret Hahn,
Lillian Kleintop, Shawn Everett,
Brenda Dorshimer, Frances Borger,
The Rev. Sterling & Lorraine Schnell, Doug
& Brenda Hawk, Elmer Frantz, Katie Arace
1 Diane Huber
2 Riston Barr
5 Donna Waltz
6 Kim Buskirk
6 Rodney Smith
7 Lynn Byerly
7 Catherine Dotter
7 Debbie Kemmerer
7 David Kreiser
8 Betty Kleintop
9 Henry Krechel
9 Ashley Smith
9 Michelle Bonser
11 Lesly Byrne
11 Franklin Smith
11 James Beidleman
13 Melvin Frable
14 Jeffery Gower
16 Carl Kocher
16 Bonney Kresge
18 Wayne Lee
19 Ryker Barr
20 Carol King
20 Linda Koehler
21 Jennifer Ray
21 Larry Smale
22 Evelyn Smith
23 Terry VanBuskirk
24 Kurt Eckhart
24 James Smith
25 Kathy Beidleman
26 Charolette Kleintop
26 Wanda Wunder
28 Rachel Frable
28 Laura Bealer
28 Aubrey Freeby
29 Katelin Arace
2016 Income Vs Expenses As Of November 2016
Welcome to our council the
following people:
Jeanie Anewalt,
Penny Hawk,
Pat Martin, Tony Palermo
Dean Zacharias
Council Meeting Date Changed
January’s council meeting will be
held on Tuesday, January 10, 2017
this month.
All new council members and any
council member looking for a
refresher course is invited to a
training session at 5:30pm and
council meeting starts at 7pm.
Please call the office if you have
any questions.
Happy New Year!
Your new offering envelopes are availa-
ble for you to pick up. They are located
in the new gathering room downstairs
outside the social hall. Please call the
office if you need them delivered to
you.
January Usher Schedule
January 1- Joyce, Jack, Wilbur, Lee B & Lee S
January 8– (9am) Dan & Lynn
January 8 (Noon) Joyce & Lee B
January 15– Lee S & Leon
NOVEMBER FINANCIAL INCOME COMPARISON
Income for November 2016 with 4 Sundays Income for November 2015 with 5 Sundays
11/6/16-9am—125 Attending- $3,501.00-All Saints Day 11/1/15-9am-112 Attending-$3,914.83-All Saints Day
11/13/16-9am-52 Attending-$2,533.00 11/8/15-9am-78 Attending-$1,317.00-Baptism
11/13/16-12pm-120 Attending-$1,410.00/ $134.78 Outreach 11/8/15-12pm-103 Attending- $1,009.00/$56.17-Outreach
11/20/16-9am-55 Attending-$2,302.10 11/15/15-9am-120 Attending-$1,821.93– 2 Baptisms
11/27/16-9am-80 Attending-$2,220.00 11/22/15-9am-78 Attending-$1,768.00
11/29/15-9am-68 Attending-$3,009.50
Totals– General Fund- $11,966.10-Outreach-$134.78 Totals– General Fund- $12,840.26-Outreach-$56.17
Are you feeling out of shape? Did
you over eat during the holiday
season? Do you have some weight
you would like to lose? Does walk-
ing up stairs or up an incline leave
you out of breath and winded? How
would you like to work on these
issues? We now have a wonderful gathering room that would
make a great place to exercise together. Pastor Suzanne wants
to start an exercise/weight lost group that would meet at
St. Matthews. It is hard to exercise faithfully and change your
diet by yourself. It is much easier to do it with the support of
others. If you are interested, join her on January 11 at 6 pm for
a get together to begin forming a
Fitness Group here at St. Matts. At
the meeting we will discuss times to
meet (day, evening or both), how
often, expectations, hopes and we
will come up with a name for the
group. Join us and bring your ideas.
Incase of inclement weather, please call the church
office for any cancelations of meetings, or services being
cancelled. We will leave a message on the machine if we
are going to cancel. If there is no answering machine
picking up, that means there is no electric and we will
not be having service.
Please join “The Path” to the “Family Table”
Every Second Sunday of
Every Month at Noon
St. Matthew’s has its own band showing us
the word of God through
Country Gospel Songs and Music.
Come share Communion at our table.
Staci’s Stuff
By Staci Gower, coordinator of Christian formation
What I love about January is the fresh start of a new year. After spending December dashing from shopping
malls to festive gatherings, we can use January to rest and reenergize. It can be a month to start a new
project or find a new perspective.
Sunday School and nursery care will not be available on January 1. Both resume on January 8.
I’m always looking for input on Sunday School lessons, activities to do with the children and youth, service
projects and places to visit. If you have an idea, please share. Some months, I have too many ideas and not
enough time. Other months, my creativity seems to be on vacation. We need various perspectives and
people willing to volunteer their time and talents to keep our children and youth engaged and eager for
more Christian education. Thankfully, we have stellar teachers and nursery assistants. And more are always
welcome to join the roster.
Our nursery has been very popular since it opened in September. Perhaps you’ve heard the children singing
or have seen the Thomas train toy roll down the hallway! Most Sundays we have anywhere from two to six
children during worship hour. In December, we added 15 minutes of Christian education so there is some
learning time mixed in with playtime. This lesson is different than the one I do later during the preschool
Sunday School class. This is so the kids who do nursery and stay for class get the maximum amount of new
material possible. If your children have yet to visit the nursery, please stop by for a visit.
The nursery is always staffed with two volunteers. If you’d like to volunteer an hour a month, please see
me. I’d like to expand our volunteer list.
Come bounce with the youth group on January 15, when we go to Sky Zone in Bethlehem. We will depart
the church after Sunday School.
Other upcoming youth events include snow tubing, volunteering at the West End Food Pantry and a lock-in
at the church. I’ll provide more information next month.
For more information or to participate, contact me at 610-283-4696 (call or text) or
stacigeorge0317@gmail.com
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